High Number of Years of Life Lost Due to Police Violence in U.S.

TUESDAY, May 8, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- The number of years of life lost (YLLs) due to police violence in the United States is substantial and disproportionately impacts young people of color, according to a study published online May 7 in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health.

Anthony L. Bui, M.P.H., from the University of California, Los Angeles, and colleagues used data on the number of deaths due to police violence from The Counted, a media-based source compiled by The Guardian, in order to calculate the difference between an individual's age at death and their corresponding standard life expectancy at age of death (YLLs).

The researchers found that there were 57,375 YLLs due to police violence in 2015 and 54,754 in 2016. More than one-third of the population was people of color (38.5 percent), but they accounted for 51.5 percent of YLLs. YLLs were greatest among those aged 25 to 34 years. The number of YLLs at younger ages was greater among people of color versus whites.

"Framing police violence as an important cause of deaths among young adults provides another valuable lens to motivate prevention efforts," the authors write.